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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Peaceful commune invaded by police

A small agrarian commune outside of Arlington, Texas was raided by police in early August. The invasion, done under the guise of a "drug raid," resulted in literally tons of garden-grown food being confiscated, with irreversible damage being done to existing crops. Authorities claimed they had received a tip that marijuana plants were being grown amongst the vegetables; no marijuana, nor any evidence of any manner of illicit drugs, was found in the raid.

The commune, called "The Garden of Eden," is shared by six adults, two children, and various animals. It is dedicated to a sustainable, off-grid lifestyle, and as such has been targeted by city officials for months. Past complaints against the community have been largely based on 'city code violations,' which they assert are bogus.

Critics have blasted the invasion as a violation of basic civil rights, that even if 'Garden' members were living a different lifestyle than others they are still afforded equal protection under the law. Many are calling this 'police state' tactics to the extreme.

For their part, law enforcement officials are refusing to speak on-camera to news outlets, only releasing statements that they 'stand by' their actions. Meanwhile the commune, which has been devastated by this act, is requesting compensation for the lost vegetation and an apology from the city, per resident Quinn Eaker.